Robbers in fake uniforms pull off diamond heist at Brussels airport

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 - 01:27

Feb. 19 - Armed robbers dressed in police uniforms carried out a precision heist on the runway of Brussels Airport -- stealing one of the largest shipments of diamonds ever in under five minutes with no shots fired. Deborah Gembara reports.

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It sounds like the sort of caper carried out in the movies. Only this one involving costumes, a special delivery and truckloads of diamonds played out on the runway of the Brussels airport.
Belgian prosecutors say two cars pulled up to these Brinks security vans filled with gems, and seized them just as they were being loaded onto a Swiss plane.
SOUNDBITE: Ine Van Wymersch, Spokeswoman Of Brussels Prosecutor's Office saying (Dutch):
"The perpetrators were dressed in clothes that resembled police uniforms, and they broke open the fence that was located between two construction sites, behind the fence there were two construction sites. They made a hole, and they entered the tarmac and they used the same hole in the fence when they made their escape."
The robbers, all of eight of them were armed, managed to carry out the entire operation in less than five minutes without firing a single shot.
SOUNDBITE: Anja Bijnens, Spokeswoman Of Brussels Prosecutor's Office saying (Dutch):
"They did not shoot, nobody was injured, but the people present, including the people working for the valuables transportation company, the pilot and the co-pilot, were held at gun point."
Both cars sped off after the robbery and this one was later found burnt just outside of Brussels.
Prosecutors aren't commenting on just how many diamonds were stolen but media reports have put the value between 50 and $467 million dollars.